Facts about Multiple Sclerosis – 1

Just a few facts about Multiple Sclerosis: You might not see it, but it is there and it is REAL! For everyone to grasp how life can be from day to day, I want you to imagine the following pictures I describe…

Fatigue

Fatigue: As if you just hiked 50 kilometers up a steep hill after two days of no sleep, while you are carrying a backpack filled with rocks on the hottest day of the year. Your legs cannot hold you any longer, every muscles, bone and eyelid hurts, even new places in your body you didn’t know exist. A earthquake can swallow your house, you would sleep right through it.

Walking difficulties: Imagine after a night of drinking – you had one too many. You attempt to walk across the floor with full intentions of simply going from your chair to the door, but you end up walking into walls and tables instead.

Walking difficulties

Plasticity: It feels as if there is a knot in our legs. But all muscles are infected. We tend to twitch and kick without warning. So if you say something stupid and we hit you on the head… sorry that was a involuntary spastic moment.

Numbness: Pins and needles are awful, you are lucky to get it once in a blue moon, and you can get rid of it just by walking around. Well we are not that lucky. We live with that feeling every minute of our day, and not only in our legs, but for some of us in our arms, face and body.

Vision problems: We don’t enjoy seeing two of everything unless it is chocolate or a R200 note. Many of us will lose colour clarity as well. So if we are wearing uncoordinated clothes, don’t laugh. We didn’t know we were wearing bright orange.